Dust caps for roller skate wheels



June 3, 1958 I A. BRUNO 2,837,376

. DUST CAPS FOR ROLLER SKATE WHEELS Filed May 9, 1956 INVENTOR.ALEXANDER 52 u/vo United States Patent DUST CAT'S FOR ROLLER SKATEWHEELS Alexander Bruno, New York, N. Y.

Application May 9, 1956, Serial No. 583,859

1 Claim. (Cl. 3131-37) This invention relates broadly to roller skatesand more specifically to dust caps for the wheel bearings thereof whichserve to prevent dust and dirt from being picked up from the floor orsurface of the skating rink and accumulating in the wheel bearings.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of removabledust caps for roller skate wheels with novel means for retaining thecaps on the wheels and yet permitting easy and practically instantaneousremoval thereof for the purpose of oiling or cleaning the wheelbearings.

Another and more specific object of the invention is the provision ofsuch means in the form of one or more permanently magnetized members onthe dust caps adapted to register in the bearing recess of the wheel andto be retained therein by magnetic attraction with the magnetizablewheel bearing housing.

The above as well as additional objects will be clarified in thefollowing description wherein reference numerals refer to like-numberedparts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing isintended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is thereforeneither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to anyor all of the exact details shown or described except insofar as theymay be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a roller skate equipped with the removable dust caps of thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the dust caps per se.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wheel of Fig. 2 per se.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral indicates a roller skatehaving the wheels 11 provided with removable outer dust caps 12 anddetachable dust caps 13 on their inner sides.

The wheel 11 has a cylindrical metallic core 14 of magnetizablematerial, which is provided with axial recesses 15 on both sides, givingaccess to the ball bearings 16. The hub 17 of the bearing is rigid withthe axle 18, and the annular core 14 is rigid with the wheel 11.

The core 14 has a circumferential flange 19 surrounding the recess 15.

The dust caps 12 and 13, which are both circular in outline although theformer is preferably deformed into a convex outer side and a concaveinner side while the 1 2,837,376 Patented June 3, 1958 latter ispreferably in the shape of a flat disc, are both provided on their innersides with two or more permanently magnetized steel clips 20 in theshape of approximately semi-cylindrical bands which are arcuate inconformation and adapted to register frictionally in the recess 15 incontact with the flange 19. These clips extend at right angles to thevertical plane through the cap, and are supported on pedestals 21intermediate their length, the pedestals extending rigidly or integrallyfrom the cap. The magnetization of the clips is such that the juxtaposedends or poles 22 of two adjacent clips are alternately north and southin magnetization. Thus, when a cap is mounted on the Wheel, the path offlux between such mutually adjacent poles is through the portion of theflange 19 between the poles. As a consequence, the degree of or amountof frictional engagement of the clips against the flange 19 need beslight since the magnetic attraction of the clips to the flange servesalmost entirely, if not entirely, to retain the cap in place. Hence thecaps may, in an obvious manner, be very easily removed or attached,whenever and for whatever purpose is deemed necessary.

The preferred number of magnetized clips 20 is, as illustrated in thedrawing, two, as then each clip has an arcuate length of approximately180 degrees and thus approaches the most efiicient form of permanentmagnet, that of the horseshoe form.

Thus a practical. and improved removable dust cap has been provided forroller skates.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be i made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In order to make the cap more eflicient in excluding dust from thebearings, a gasket 23, shown only on the outside dust cap 12 in Fig. 2,may be provided in any desired manner.

I claim:

In a roller skate including a shaft having a hub thereon and a wheelhaving an annular core of magnetizable material rigid therewith, saidhub shaft registering in said annular core, said core having acircumferential flange enclosing an axial recess, the improvementconsisting in a dust cap adapted to cover said recess and having twodiametrically opposed permanently magnetized clips in the form ofapproximately semi-cylindrical bands extending from and at right anglesto the dust cap adapted to be inserted into said recess to engage theinner surface of said flange to retain the dust cap on the wheel bymagnetic attraction between said clips and said flange, each of saidclips having the outer cylindrical surface thereof complementary to saidinner surface of the flange and having a pedestal extending therefromintermediate its length, said pedestal extending also from and securedto the dust cap and thus spacing the clip from the dust cap, said clipseach having an arcuate length of slightly less than degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,147,482 Butler Feb. 14, 1939 2,612,410 Deschenes Sept. 30, 19522,761,717 Mahlke Sept. 4, 1956

